Red Dress
by LizziLizzi5500
Summary: Short story, OC romance, battle scenes, no slash. T for safety.


Enjolras, too absorbed in thoughts of revolution, didn't notice the girl in front of him until he walked into her. "My apologies, Mademoiselle," he said quickly, taking a step back to take a look at her properly. The girl was quite tall, slim, and had curly, blonde hair and shining, light brown eyes. The hem of her tattered, muddy red dress dropped to just above her feet, which were completely bare. 'Red, for revolution,' the thought passed across Enjolras' mind before he could stop it.

"No, M'sieur, I am sorry for getting in your way. I'll be going now," the girl said, looking down at the cobbled pavement the whole time. She spoke very quietly, and Enjolras found himself struggling to hear her voice. As she went to step around him, he held out an arm to prevent her. The girl looked up, straight into his eyes. Enjolras could see as well as sense the fear radiating from her. "Please, M'sieur, I have no money, not anything-"  
"I'm not going to hurt you," he said, smiling and looking back into her hazel eyes, trying to let her see the fact for herself. But still the girl backed away from him, afraid. He could just walk away, Enjolras realised, but something in him prevented it. He wanted to help this girl, the girl in a dress the colour of revolution.

He took a slow step towards her, trying not to startle her. He could see her eyes darting from side to side, in both directions of the alley. She was going to try and run. "Don't run," he said. "My name is Enjolras. What's your name?" The girl looked up at him, still apprehensive, but less so now than before. "I'm called Serena," she whispered, and her brown eyes met Enjolras' blue again. His heart leaped as Serena's mouth turned up into a small smile. "Serena. That's a beautiful name," Enjolras complimented her, and the smile widened. He got the sense she wasn't praised very often. "Where do you live, Serena? May I escort you somewhere?" Even as he spoke, Enjolras' brain was telling him to stop; he had a revolution to plan! But his mouth moved as though it had a mind of its own, and he found himself wanting to spend more time with Serena. To his disappointment, Serena shook her head, frowning slightly. "I'll be fine on my own now, M'sieur, but thank you very much for the offer," she said, but Enjolras didn't believe her. Either that or he just wanted her to stay - more likely the latter, he realised. "Mademoiselle, please allow me to escort you home. Surely that is where you were heading at this hour of the night?" he asked. "Well, yes, M'sieur, but it is only around the corner. I can make my own way there quickly enough," she protested. "Well, if it is only around the corner then it wouldn't be much trouble for me to take you there, would it?" Enjolras reasoned, and Serena suddenly developed an extreme interest in a particular stone set in the ground. "To be completely honest, M'sieur, I haven't... I haven't exactly got a home at the moment."

Enjolras sighed inwardly. He had suspected as much, from Serena's deliberate aversion to the subject of home. "I have a spare bed at my place," he suggested, even though he knew it was a bad idea. What if Courfeyrac decided to choose today to make it home before seven o'clock in the morning, and found a girl in his room? Enjolras had shared an apartment with him for years, but he was sure Courfeyrac would not appreciate Enjolras bringing a girl home, despite the ridiculous amount of times he'd done it himself. 'She could always sleep in your bed', the irritating little voice in his head told him. "Come on, it's not far." Serena shook her head violently, her blonde curls bouncing, but Enjolras reached out and took her arm. "M'sieur, I really must object," she tried, but Enjolras wouldn't let her. "No, you mustn't. Have you had anything to eat recently?" Serena opened her mouth, presumably to make another excuse as to why she didn't need his help, but her stomach rumbled loudly, giving Enjolras the answer he was looking for. "I thought so."

Serena smiled reluctantly, perhaps realising that there was no way of escaping Enjolras. They walked on in companionable silence for a few minutes, until they reached Enjolras' and Courfeyrac's shared apartment. As he unlocked the door and went up the stairs, Serena following, Enjolras listened for any sound of his roommate, but there was nothing. Just in case, he led Serena into his own room. "There should be a jug of water and towels in the corner. I'll go and get you something to eat," he said, and left, pulling the door closed behind him. He looked in on Courfeyrac's room on his way, just to be sure. No-one there. In the small kitchen, he sought out some bread and cheese, as well as a glass of water. Balancing the food on a plate, he made his way back down the darkened corridor, and pushed open the door with his foot, to find Serena sitting on his bed, silent tears streaming down her face. He approached and putting the glass and plate down on a chair, sat down next to her. "Serena? What's wrong?" he asked gently, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him through tearstained eyelashes. "I'm sorry, I must seem terribly ungrateful to you, it's just that no-one has ever been so nice to me before." The words poured out of her mouth like a rain shower, quiet but full of meaning. Enjolras laughed, but kindly. "Well, isn't it lucky that someone noticed you? Is there anything else you require?" he asked, and Serena's smile reappeared on her face through the tears. "No, this is lovely, thank you."  
Enjolras got up to leave. "If there is anything else you need, I am in the room next to yours," he said, and went out.

Enjolras woke with a start, to see his roommate's dark curls hanging centimetres from his nose. "Enjolras! What are you doing in my room?" Courfeyrac hissed, and Enjolras sighed exasperatedly. Only Courfeyrac could have such bad timing. "What time is it?" he asked, pushing himself into a sitting position. "Three in the morning. _Why are you in my room_?" Enjolras sighed, again. There was no way around it. "There's someone in my bed." Courfeyrac's eyes widened. "A girl?" Enjolras was silent. "I knew it! But you know, being in the bed with her is always much more fun. I don't know, maybe you were, and wanted a break?" he asked hopefully. This irritated Enjolras no end. "No, you don't get it. She's just... A friend. She didn't have anywhere to go, so I said she could stay here for tonight." Courfeyrac looked disappointed. "Well, you're not staying in my bed, I want it. Go back in there with her," he ordered, and Enjolras got up, although reluctantly. "Can I at least take a blanket? It's cold on the floor."  
"Go!" Courfeyrac ordered again, and Enjolras pulled a blanket off the bed and left the room.  
He nudged the door to his own room, and it squeaked loudly. He cursed silently, and tried again. Thankfully, the door didn't make any more noise, and he was able to settle himself against the wall furthest away from his own bed and eventually get to sleep.

The sound of quiet footsteps over the creaking floorboards stirred Enjolras from his light sleep. He sat up quickly, just in time to see the door closing silently. It could only be Serena. Throwing the blanket aside, Enjolras pushed open the door to see a flash of red disappearing around the corner, to the door leading outside. He raced towards her, and caught her arm just before she went out onto street. Serena turned around to see Enjolras' face right next to hers. She gasped and pulled away, and reached for the door handle again. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked her, and put his hand over hers on the handle, stopping it from turning. "Without even a goodbye?" Serena blinked at him. "Goodbye?" she said quietly, although it sounded more like a question. "Are you sure you have to go? You could stay for longer, if you wanted to," Enjolras suggested, not wanting Serena to leave. "Absolutely certain. Thank you very much, M'sieur," she said, and Enjolras let go of her hand so that she could open the door. He watched as she crossed to the other side of the pavement and turned a corner, her red dress seemingly glowing in the pale morning light.

•••••••••••••••

"M'sieur Enjolras!" Enjolras paused at the sound of his name, his hand on the handle of the door to the café. He turned around to see a girl in a red dress half-walking, half-running towards him, her hair waving like wind over a corn field. "Serena?" It had been two weeks since they had first met, and Enjolras had been so busy planning his revolution that he'd almost forgotten about her. She was standing next to him by now, and he could see the desperation clearly in her shining eyes. "I think there is someone following me," she whispered urgently. "I'm scared." Enjolras looked up in the direction she'd come from, and sure enough he could just about see a man with a long coat and a hat covering his features. "Let's go inside," Enjolras said in a deliberately loud voice, and put his arm around Serena's shoulders. "I'm sure your older brother will be very pleased to see you." They went inside the cafe, which was thankfully empty, not including Grantaire, who was in his usual state of passed-out-under-a-random-table.  
"Did you know him?" Enjolras asked once they were safely inside. Serena shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "What's so funny?" he wondered aloud, reaching out to touch Serena's face lightly with his fingertips so that she looked up at him. His touch surprised her, nervous energy coursing through her body like an electric shock.

"I was just thinking... Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked abruptly, and Enjolras had to carefully consider his answer before replying. "You remind me of someone I know. She's completely alone in the world; she has no-one to help her. I didn't want you to be like that," he confessed, suddenly embarrassed. "So why me and not her?" Serena asked, and this time Enjolras knew the answer, though he was afraid to say it. "Your dress," he managed to get out, though it was quiet and mumbled. "My dress?" Serena laughed lightly as she looked down at the material of her dress, and Enjolras found that it was the nicest sound he had heard in a long time. "Why? It's all dirty and ripped..."  
"It's red," Enjolras admitted. He'd come this far, so might as well keep going. "Red for revolution."

Serena's mouth made a little 'o' shape, and Enjolras was suddenly worried that he'd said something wrong. "Did I upset you?" he asked gently. Serena's curls bounced as she shook her head, and Enjolras noticed just then how beautiful she was, despite the dirt. "I've heard talk of revolution on the streets. If you're planning a battle, I want to help," she said. Enjolras was shocked. He'd never met a girl that wanted to fight before, except maybe Eponine; and she only wanted to be near Marius. "Why on Earth would you want to do that, Serena?" he asked quietly. "A barricade is no place for a young lady such as yourself."  
"Why? I could fire a gun. I could help!" she protested loudly, and Grantaire twitched. Enjolras looked over at him, but he was still asleep, hugging an empty wine bottle as though his life depended on it. He turned back to Serena, who had an expression of extreme stubbornness on her pretty face. "I have nothing to lose. No one would care if I died. When are you building this barricade of yours?" she asked again. Enjolras sighed. "If you really want to help, I suppose you could stay for the meeting later," he allowed, and Serena smiled determinedly. "I'm staying."

Enjolras silently observed Serena from the other side of the room. She had left the cafe earlier after their 'disagreement', and returned a few hours later. Now she was sitting on the floor hugging her knees and looking out of the window. Enjolras had finally gathered the courage to go over and speak to her, and was about to get up from his chair, when the door swung open. Serena's eyes were on the figure in an instant. "Hello, people," Courfeyrac said loudly, as though announcing his presence to the room. His eyes caught Serena's red dress as they swept over the room. "Is this the girl you've been sleeping with, Enjolras?" he asked. Enjolras felt like punching his friend in the face. "I told you, we weren't sleeping together! She just didn't have anywhere to go for the night," he shouted, causing Serena and Courfeyrac to jump and Grantaire to wake up with a snort. The drunkard groaned loudly as the empty bottle he had been holding fell on the wooden floor with a crashing sound. Enjolras glanced over at him, and then looked back to Courfeyrac. "Am I not allowed to have a female friend without everyone assuming I am sleeping with her? I wasn't! I never would! That is not the kind of thing I am thinking about at the moment, and you know that full well, Courfeyrac. So _don't _say anything like that to me ever again, do you understand?"

Courfeyrac simply blinked at him. "I said, _do you understand_?" Enjolras yelled, and his friend nodded. "Technically, you shouted it," came a small voice from the floor. Enjolras looked over at Serena in surprise. "What?"  
"You weren't talking, you were shouting," she repeated, trying unsuccessfully not to smile. Enjolras' face was wiped of all emotion for a few moments, and then he laughed. "Yes, I suppose you're right," he said eventually, still grinning widely. Courfeyrac gaped at Serena, shocked. In all the years he'd known Enjolras, he had never been able to placate him when he went off on a rant. But this... This _street girl_ he barely knew could manage it instantly. "You might want to move, Courfeyrac, you're blocking the doorway. Unless you have a specific reason for not letting the others in?" Enjolras asked, his cold tone implying that he had not entirely forgiven his friend for his rudeness. Courfeyrac moved aside, and the rest of the revolutionary students piled in, having overheard the argument going on inside and not wanting to interrupt for fear of having their heads bitten off. Enjolras briefly introduced Serena to his friends, and the meeting began. Serena sat quietly in the corner, on a chair this time, listening intently but not offering her opinions. After maybe an hour, a small boy aged eleven or twelve ran up the stairs, his shoes thundering like a herd of elephants on the wood. "Listen everybody!" Courfeyrac, who had been close by, called out. The boy shouted out, "General Lamarque is dead!"

The entire room was silent for a few moments, and then the bubble of quiet burst and everyone was talking, shouting across the room, yelling at each other. It was chaos. Suddenly, Enjolras' voice called out over the din. "Silence!" Everyone stopped, everything stopped, and even the dust motes dancing in the warm air seemed to slow to a stop in their twirling and floating. The spell broke as Enjolras spoke again. "In three days' time, at General Lamarque's funeral, our revolution will begin. We will build our barricades, and we will fight." A lone cheer came from somewhere near the window; Grantaire, still hung over. "We will all be at the funeral, and we will fight," Enjolras repeated with a tone of finality. People began getting up to leave, noise gradually returning to the room as they started to discuss what had been said.

When the room was almost empty, Serena got up and went over to where Enjolras was sitting alone. "That was very inspirational," she said softly, and he looked up in surprise, not having heard her approach. "You certainly have a way with words, M'sieur. Are you still opposed to allowing me to fight with you?" Enjolras started to smile at the compliment, but his mouth quickly turned down into a frown at Serena's request. "Look, Serena, I... Let's go outside, shall we?" he suggested, looking over at the few students sitting close by. Serena followed him silently down the stairs and into the square, not showing how confused she was by Enjolras' actions. Only when they were outside, completely alone, did he speak again. "Look, Serena, there is absolutely no way I'm going to let you fight at the barricades. It's dangerous, people will die, _you_ could die. So no, you can't." Serena was angry at this. "Why not? It's dangerous living on the streets, but I've survived for nine years on my own. People die all the time, and everyone does eventually. Nobody would care if I died, so why turn down an offer for another fighter?" Enjolras looked at her solemnly. "I would care," he whispered, the words barely audible. "Could you repeat that, please?" Serena asked. "I said, I would care if you died," Enjolras repeated, more confidently. Serena looked shocked. "Why? I'm just a poor, dirty street girl. You can't be serious."  
"I am serious," Enjolras said. "I care about you dying because... because I like you."  
"I like you too, Enjolras. You have been very kind to me. But I don't see how-" Her sentence was cut off as Enjolras pressed his lips to hers. As they broke away, shock was visible in both their expressions, although Serena's more obviously. "M'sieur, I-"  
"No, Serena, I completely understand. You don't feel the same way. I know this is slightly forward, but I wanted to let you know how I felt before the barricades. Please don't bother trying to join us, because I won't let you." Enjolras turned and began to walk away, clearly upset by Serena's rejection. "Wait!" Serena caught his arm, and Enjolras stopped and looked at her. "I was just surprised. I wasn't going to say that I didn't like you in that way. In fact, quite the opposite." Enjolras' frowning mouth twitched, as though unsure if it was allowed to change. Then he smiled. "I'm very glad to hear that," he said.

••••••••••At the barricades••••••••••

"Serena! What are you doing out here? It's not safe!" Enjolras shouted at her, sounding angry. "I want to be near you," she protested. "Inside is near enough, I'm not going anywhere. Get out of here!" he yelled again, and turned to fire his gun at an advancing soldier. The man dropped to the ground, but another quickly took his place. Serena watched as Enjolras fired again and again, hitting many but not being hit himself. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a lone red and blue uniform advancing to the left. Gun raised, the soldier aimed... Straight at Enjolras, who was preoccupied by the men advancing in plain sight. Serena's heart almost stopped. She scrambled up the wall of chairs and tables and assorted other furniture, just as the man pulled the trigger. She heard a deafening explosion close by, and then all she knew was the searing fire spreading down her left arm. She collapsed to the ground, clasping her right hand over the gunshot wound in her left shoulder. Her eyes were pressed tightly shut, but instead of black she saw red, the red of her own blood seeping out of her body. In the distance she more heard more gunshots, and someone calling her name, urgently. The voice got closer and closer until it was right by her ear. "Serena! Oh my, Serena, you're hurt, what happened?" Serena opened her eyes. She'd know that voice anywhere. Enjolras' face loomed before her, the worried expression breaking her heart. She tried to speak, say his name one last time before the agony finally consumed her. "Enjolras..." Her voice sounded weak, barely audible over the sounds of battle.

"No, Serena, you can't die, we have to get you inside." Serena vaguely felt movement beneath her as Enjolras scooped her up in his strong arms, ran toward the cafe. "Joly! Where is he?" Joly was, in fact, busy being almost trampled by the one man stampede that was Enjolras with an unconscious girl in his arms. "Joly!" Enjolras yelled again, skidding to a stop just inside the cafe door. "You need to save her, I can't live without her." Tears welled up in his eyes as he carried Serena over to a temporarily empty table and laid her limp body down gently on the surface. Joly, the medical student, followed him over to examine Serena's injury. "She's been shot in the shoulder," he stated. "I can see that!" Enjolras burst out, and then bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself. "I'm sorry, I just..."  
"We need to get the bullet out, otherwise she'll never recover," Joly stated, reaching for a dangerous looking piece of metal on a windowsill. He moved aside the sleeve of Serena's dress, and Enjolras gasped at the sight of the bullet hole. Serena's red dress was stained darker by her own blood, and Enjolras found himself wishing that he had never started this, never started the revolution, because then Serena would not be dying before his eyes. He sank to his knees, and grasped Serena's bloodstained hand in his own as Joly fiddled around with the piece of metal. Enjolras' eyes closed, and he prayed; for Serena, that she wouldn't go and leave him alone in the world.  
"The bullet is out," Joly announced, and held out a small, bloody piece of metal for Enjolras to see. "Now all we have to do is hope it doesn't get infected." Enjolras watched silently as his friend wrapped a bandage around the wound. "Is there anything I can do for her?" he asked, his voice cracking. "Pray," said Joly solemnly. Enjolras looked back at Serena's face, usually so beautiful, now covered in blood and contorted in pain. "Don't leave me now, Serena. I love you."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Serena's eyes fluttered open. Enjolras was at her side in an instant, crying and laughing simultaneously despite the situation. "Serena, thank the Lord, I thought you were going to die, and then where would I be? I don't know what I'd have done if-" He stopped talking abruptly, because Serena was trying to speak. Enjolras had to lean closer to hear her voice. "Did I hear you say you loved me, Enjolras?" Her faint voice was music to his ears. "Yes, Serena, I love you. I'll love you forever."  
"That's all I need to know." Serena's eyes flickered shut, but Enjolras was comforted by the regular sound of her breathing.

•••••••••••••••

"Enjolras!" He woke to the sound of his own name from a sleep he had never meant to take. Quickly jumping to his feet, Enjolras ran outside to the person calling his name; Grantaire. "We're the only ones left," the drunkard announced, although how he knew this could not be fathomed. "What?" Enjolras asked in disbelief. "We're the only ones left," Courfeyrac confirmed.

'We're all going to die,' Enjolras thought, 'I'm going to die.' Somehow, the thought did not seem so bad. He froze as he saw a familiar figure stumbling out of the cafe, leaning against the doorframe for support. Serena. Enjolras ran over to her as she gripped the doorframe tightly with her right hand to prevent herself from falling. "Serena, what are you doing?" He wrapped his arms around her waist, careful not to touch her injured shoulder. She looked up at him. "I wanted to know if you were alright. I woke up and you were gone," she said breathlessly. "I would never leave you," he comforted her. "I love you, remember?" Serena smiled weakly, and Enjolras impulsively leaned over to kiss her on the lips. As they broke away, Serena whispered, "I love you too, Enjolras."  
Enjolras' giddy smile was quickly replaced by a frown. "Serena, you need to stay inside. I couldn't bear it if something else happened to you."  
"Absolutely not." Serena shook her head, but Enjolras gently pushed her in the direction of the door. "You are staying_ inside _until we are finished. Do you understand?" Serena nodded, but then began to protest. "But Enjolras-"  
"No! You are staying here until I come for you. You are not to move from that spot." He pointed to a lone table in the corner, on its side. Perfect for shielding a small person from view. "Please." Serena nodded slowly, and then made her way resignedly over to the table. She gave Enjolras a dejected little wave as he left, back to the battle.

•••••••••••••••

Enjolras watched as the last of his friends dropped to the floor, dead. Combeferre, Grantaire, Joly; all gone. He was entirely alone now. He was going to die. He took a few steps back, but stopped when he walked into the windowsill. He saw the red and blue-uniformed soldiers climbing the stairs. He saw them raising their guns. He saw...  
He saw a figure in a red dress, not a uniform. Serena, still weak, leaning on the banister for support. "No, Serena! Get out of here! No!" She looked up at him, smiling sadly. "If you go, I go," she said. Serena crossed the room towards him, stumbling a few times. "I can't live without you, Enjolras," she whispered, looking up at him. Out of the corner of his eye, Enjolras saw the soldiers raising their guns. He pressed his mouth to hers, his eyes remaining open.

Each others' eyes, hers shining brown and his sapphire blue, were the last things they ever saw.

••••••••••Epilogue••••••••••

"Serena? Serena, love, wake up." I heard a calm, gentle voice and cool hands on my arms, shaking me awake. I opened my eyes slowly. It was very bright in the room, everything not directly in my line of sight seemed faded, blank. But not the face in front of me. Enjolras' face was clear as day, smiling warmly. "Come on, let's go outside," he said, and took my hand in his. I stood up and let him lead me to wherever we were going. The floor seemed to fade to white behind me as I moved, the walls and furniture of the unfamiliar place with it. We came to a closed door, and Enjolras pushed it slowly open. A rush of fresh air and the scent of freshly cut grass blew over me, ruffling my blonde hair so my curls waved slightly. As my eyes adjusted to the change of scenery, I could see two young children running about, playing in the tall grass. A girl, with light brown hair and brown eyes, and a boy, smaller, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Enjolras turned to me, still smiling. "Our children," he said. "What are their names?" I though about it for a moment, and then I knew. "Evangeline… and Oliver."  
"I knew you'd choose beautiful names, which is why I waited for you," he said.

"What is this place?" I asked after a while, as we were still watching our children running in the grass. "I don't know," he answered. "But I don't care, as long as you are with me."

(This was meant to be a short story, there was stuff happening in between the meeting and the barricades but I gave myself a word limit, I may write the in-between bit later. Also I know it's not exactly true to the book or the film because I'm terrible at little details. Thanks for reading!)


End file.
